Alkynes, metal mediated acids

A unique method to generate the pyridine ring employed a transition metal-mediated 6-endo-dig cyclization of A-propargylamine derivative 120. The reaction proceeds in 5-12 h with yields of 22-74%. Gold (HI) salts are required to catalyze the reaction, but copper salts are sufficient with reactive ketones. A proposed reaction mechanism involves activation of the alkyne by transition metal complexation. This lowers the activation energy for the enamine addition to the alkyne that generates 121. The transition metal also behaves as a Lewis acid and facilitates formation of 120 from 118 and 119. Subsequent aromatization of 121 affords pyridine 122. 

Lewis acid catalyzed versions of [4 4- 2] cycloadditions are restricted to functionalized dieno-philes. Nonfunetionalized alkenes and alkynes cannot be activated with Lewis acids and in thermal [4 + 2] cycloadditions these suhstrates usually show low reactivity. It has been reported that intcrmolecular cycloaddition of unactivated alkynes to dienes can be accelerated with low-va-lent titanium, iron or rhodium catalysts via metal-mediated - -complex formation and subsequent reductive elimination39 44. Usually, however, low product selectivities are observed due to side reactions, such as aromatization, isomerization or oligomerization. More effective are nickel-catalyzed intramolecular [4 4- 2]-dienyne cycloadditions which were developed for the synthesis of polycycles containing 1.4-cyclohexadienes45. Thus, treatment of dienyne 1, derived from sorbic acid, with 10mol% of Ni(cod)2 and 30 mol % of tris(o-biphenyl) phosphite in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature affords bicyclic 1,4-dienes 2, via intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition, with excellent yield and moderate to complete diastereocontrol by substituents attached to the substrate. The reaction is sensitive towards variation in the catalyst and the ligand. 

An alternate route to formation of alkyl monolayers is via Lewis acid catalyzed reactions of alkenes with the hydrogen terminated surface. In this approach, a catalyst such as ethyl aluminum dichloride is used to mediate the hydrosilylation reaction of an alkene (or alkyne), resulting in the same type of product as in the case of the photochemical or thermal reactions. This type of reaction is well known based on molecular organosilane chemistry and has also been used successfully to alkylate porous silicon [31]. Although this route has been shown to work on H/Si(lll), the resulting monolayers are found to have lower coverages than those achieved using the photochemical or thermal approach [29], Another concern with this approach is the possibility of trace metal residues from the catalyst that could adversely affect the electronic properties of these surfaces (even when present at levels below the detection limit of most common surface analysis techniques). 

Various functionalized alkynes can be submitted to carbocupration reactions, such as alkoxyalkynes,150 alkynyl carbamates,151 acetylenic orthoesters,152 and thioalkynes.153 The carbocupration of orthoesters, for example, 204, has been used to prepare a-substituted esters of the type 206 by acidic hydrolysis of the adduct 205 (Scheme 51).152 This allows the formation of regioisomers that are not accessible by copper-mediated addition to acetylenic esters. A stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes has been described by Normant et al.lSd> starting from phenylthio-acetylene 207. Carbocupration with lithium di- -butylcuprate affords the intermediate 208 which, upon addition of /z-butyllithium, undergoes a 1,2-metalate rearrangement to the vinylcuprate 209. The latter can be trapped with various electrophiles, for example, ethyl propiolate, providing product 210 with complete regio- and stereocontrol. 

The Lewis acid-mediated [4+2] cycloaddition of conjugated enynes with alkynes affords arenes however, it is limited to the intramolecular cycloaddition [44]. The use of transition metal complexes realizes the catalytic intermolecular variants. The first example was reported in the paUadium(O)-catalyzed homo-[4+2] cycloaddition of monosubstituted conjugated enynes giving substituted styrenes (Scheme 21.38) [45]. Importantly, this reaction proceeded with definite regioselectivity. 

With Zn Lewis acids, only single a-insertion of alkynes (—> 42) is observed, while with AlMes double alkenylation (— 43) dominates. It is proposed that oxidative Ni(0) insertion to the 2-CH bond, hydronickelation of the triple bond, alkenyl transfer to C-2 of the pyridine, and reductive Ni-elimination are the decisive steps in the catalytic cycle, (d) The pyridyl residue may serve as a directing group in C-H insertion reactions of phenyl substituents at pyridine mediated by transition metals like Cu and Pd. For instance, 2-phenylpyridine can be regioselectively halogenated, acetoxylated, and cyanided (- products 44, 45, and 47) in the presence of Cu(OAc)2 [92] or amidated — 46) in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 [93] ... 

In order for the 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethylthio unit to lose its protecting group upon treatment with the fluoride, the sulfur must be attached to an unsaturated carbon. Hence the fluoride mediated sulfur deprotection is feasible for 2-(trimethyl-silyl)ethylthio substituted (het)arenes, alkenes, alkynes, and acid derivatives such as carboxylic and selenothiophosphinic acid salts. In thiolate form, the substrates have value for the formation of self-assembled monolayers or as metal complexing agents. Simple addition of acid to the thiolate to give a stable thiol characterizes 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethanethiol as a simple M" (HS) equivalent that is only capable of a single substitution reaction. ... 

---